


Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha PANZER

by AonoAkashiya



Category: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha | Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
Genre: Action, Adventure, Combat, Devices, Gen, Magic, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, Science, spells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2439095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AonoAkashiya/pseuds/AonoAkashiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miyu Mayuzumi is a girl with a heart of gold and a fist of steel. When her father becomes the victim of an incident involving a Lost Logia and when her childhood friend goes missing, Miyu sets out on a journey filled with events that will test every ounce of faith in herself, her friends, and her abilities as a mage. Will she come out on top? Or will she be left behind in the dust?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Decisive Battle!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story that I've been working on for awhile with my friend. My original characters are Miyu, Ethan, Tsugumi, Shiro, Xena, and Hailey. His original characters are Clarissa, Ayase, and Alyssa.

**Prologue**

_Mid-Childa is a world home to a technologically advanced civilization where several of its residents are trained in the arts of magic. People trained in the arts of magic are known as mages. This planet is where the main office of the Time-Space Administration Bureau(TSAB) is located. The TSAB is an interdimensional security force formed from a union of several planets. One day, two members of the TSAB, Shiro Mayuzumi and Tsugumi Kirisaki gave birth to little girl named Miyu. From a very young age, Miyu had an immediate interest in her parents' profession and about magic in general. Miyu was homeschooled in the arts of magic after she first learned how to read. This trend continued until her ninth birthday, when she was given her very own Device. Devices are tools used by mages to assist them in casting spells. Miyu's device was created by her mother, since her mother was a Device Meister, or someone that specializes in creating Devices. Miyu's Device was named Panzerglaive and it was a Modern Belkan type. Since neither of her parents had knowledge of the use of ranged magic, Miyu's device was specifically made for close combat. Miyu's father trained her in the ways of melee combat for one more year. After that, Miyu was enrolled in St. Hilde Academy of Magic as a fourth year in Elementary School. Throughout her first few years at St. Hilde, she learned how to use mid-ranged attacks. Her mother upgraded her Device to become a hybrid of a Mid-Childan type and Modern Belkan type. Now that she has finished Middle School, her next goal… is to join the TSAB..._

* * *

**July 17th**

**TSAB Ground Forces Assessment Area**

**2:00PM**

**Mid-Childa**

"Alright. You've managed to pass all of your mage tests so far with flying colors. Are you ready for your B to A test?" the voice of a female figure presented on a screen floating in front of a teenage girl was heard.

"Yeah." the girl replied with a nod. This girl was Miyu Mayuzumi, the girl with a heart so bright that it could rival the sun's light. A few weeks after she graduated from St. Hilde's Middle School, her parents recommended her to their superiors to see if she could join the TSAB. It didn't take long for her to get accepted and Miyu was quickly sent off to get registered. Even though she did not attend the Fourth Ground Forces Academy like most other mages, she was still allowed to join the Ground Forces like normal. After everything was sorted out with getting her registered in the TSAB's databases, her first mage ranking test began. She passed the F, E, D, C, and B tests, but she felt like she could do more. It was now time for her to do something that not many mages could do: attempt to become an A rank. Letting out a soft sigh, she gripped the device that hung as a necklace around her neck and gave it a tight squeeze. "Panzerglaive… Set up."

"Yes sir." the device flashed red as its robotic, masculine voice was heard. It was a common function among devices that they could speak to their masters. A red light briefly covered Miyu's body as her normal hoodie and black shorts she was wearing was replaced with her barrier jacket, which consisted of a short sleeved, half red and white shirt with the colors divided vertically, a belt with a skirt-like armor that has the same color scheme as her shirt, black leggings that are in the form of shorts that go up to just above her knees, black shoes with ridges wrapping around the lower part of her legs near her ankles with red gems embedded in them,. and midnight colored fingerless gloves. Her Device changed into a burgundy colored metal glove that resided on her left hand.

"Alright. Come to the center of the testing area to find out what your task is." With that said, the screen disappeared and Miyu let out a soft sigh.

"I'd better get going." Putting on a serious expression, she jogged through the magically generated area until she reached the center. There, she found the same woman who was speaking to her earlier waiting there in her barrier jacket.

"Great. You're here. Now… Your test is to…" the woman paused as her Device, a staff-like object, formed in her hand. "To go against me, Nanoha Takamachi. If you manage to deal a bit of damage, you'll pass."

Miyu went wide-eyed for a moment. "Y-You're Nanoha? But… aren't you S rank or something?" she asked quietly.

"Don't worry. I have a limiter that brings me down to AA rank. You have nothing to worry about." Nanoha said with a smile.

"If you say so…" Miyu stated as she shifted into a combat stance.

* * *

**2:10PM**

**Center of Assessment Area**

"Alright then. So if you're ready-!" Nanoha flew up into the air and fired off a magical shot at Miyu.

' _She's an aerial mage… this is going to be tough.'_ Miyu thought to herself as she quickly moved off to the side and ran into a building to the left. She ran up a flight of stairs as her device changed into its second form, which was the shape of a small crossbow attached to the back of her hand. ' _My Mid-Ranged attacks are probably my best bet right now.'_ Heading to the top floor of the building, she looked down to find Nanoha looking directly up at her.

"Found you." Nanoha said as she fired off another shot at her.

"Motorized Aura." Miyu whispered as a few clusters of red, magical hexagons started floating around her body. One of the clusters blocked the shot and disappeared after contact. Holding out her hand, Miyu took a deep breath. "Padlock." she stated as four red nut shaped binds, similar in appearance to the nuts used for building things, appeared around Nanoha's arms and legs, keeping her in place in the air. Miyu then pointed her device arm at Nanoha as she converted mana into wind energy and gathered it inside of Panzerglaive. "Crushing Whirlwind!" she called out as she released the energy in the form of a pressurized ball of air, sending it streaking towards Nanoha. Nanoha broke free from the binds at the last second by using a technique called Bind Break and used Flash Move, a movement-type spell, to get behind Miyu at extremely fast speeds.

"I'm not going down that easily!" Nanoha called out as she swung Raising Heart in a downward arc towards Miyu. Miyu quickly spun around and blocked it with Panzerglaive. Nanoha quickly jumped back a few feet in the air and pointed her Device at Miyu. "Axel Shooter." Raising Heart stated as pink orbs appeared in the air around Nanoha. "Shoot!" Nanoha commanded as the spheres were sent flying towards Miyu.

"Omni Bullet." Panzerglaive announced as red orbs appeared around Miyu. "Fire." she quickly mumbled as she moved her index finger of her Device hand like she was pulling a trigger of a weapon, sending the orbs flying towards Nanoha's. Both attacks collided, causing an explosion that sent a cloud of smoke up that covered the area between them. Miyu took the opportunity to rush forward. Turning Panzerglaive back into its Panzer form, she ran right towards Nanoha with her fist cocked back. Nanoha saw her burst through the smoke and aimed Raising Heart at Miyu' charging up an attack. Miyu quickly activated her Monsoon Drive spell, briefly increasing her speed to higher levels. This allowed her to get in close to Nanoha quicker than she expected. "Battler Flash!" Miyu yelled out as she delivered a powerful uppercut, making Nanoha fly into the air.

"That caught me off guard. Good job." Nanoha said with a smile as she pointed Raising Heart at Miyu again. "Short Buster," Raising Heart said as a long burst of energy was fired at Miyu. Miyu quickly covered Panzerglaive in a barrier and swung her fist at the attack, blocking it with the punch. "Oh? That's an interesting technique." Nanoha acknowleged.

Miyu smirked as her device flashed red. "Battler Cremator!" she called out, a shockwave being sent through Nanoha's attack, knocking her back slightly. Stepping forward, Miyu broke out into a sprint before springing into the air and flying towards Nanoha with a flying jump kick. Nanoha quickly blocked it with a Protection barrier. Miyu flipped off of the shield and a magic circle appeared under her feet once she touched the building's rooftop. She activated another one of her movement spells, Velocity Blazer, which launched her forward as quickly as Nanoha's Flash Move. "Accelerated Crashing!" she shouted as she connected a hard stomach punch. This made Nanoha stagger back a little.

"You really pack a punch…" Nanoha mumbled as she used a binding spell, causing pink rings to hold Miyu in place. She moved forward with Flash Move while focusing mana at Raising Heart's tip.

"Sentinel Defenser." Panzerglaive stated as a forcefield made of hexagons appeared around Miyu. Nanoha hit the forcefield with Raising Heart, an explosion occurring as the result. Nanoha flew back into the air a few feet.

"Thanks Sentinel…" Miyu mumbled to her device, calling it by its nickname.

"Protection is a priority." it replied.

Smiling slightly, Miyu jumped off of the side of the building, turning Panzerglaive back into its Discharge form. Red energy appeared at its tip. "Cluster Cannon!" she called out as she fired the energy into the air above Nanoha. It exploded into smaller orbs of energy that fell around Nanoha, detonating around her. Miyu used Velocity Blazer to launch herself into the building again while the smoke cleared.

Raising Heart raised a force field around Nanoha when the detonation happened. When the smoke cleared, she looked around left and right for Miyu. "Eh? Where'd she go…" She floated over to the side of the building and looked over at the building across from them.

Miyu ran up the fight of stairs to the roof again, letting Panzerglaive load magic-filled cartridges into itself. Bursting through the threshold, she skidded into a crouching position and used magic to create a tornado around Nanoha. "Gale Cyclone! Blow her away!" Nanoha, caught off guard, gasped as the tornado tore Raising Heart from her hands and carried it off.

"Raising Heart!" Nanoha called out as she tried to grab it again. Using the small window of opportunity she created, Miyu pointed Panzerglaive at Nanoha's back.

"Aero Torpedo!" she shouted as a green oval-shaped energy bullet streaked towards Nanoha. Nanoha tried to throw up a shield quickly, but the bullet hit her and exploded on impact, knocking her across to the roof of the other building. She landed hard on her back and slid for a couple of feet. Miyu jogged over to the side of her building and peeked over at Nanoha. Raising Heart clattered to the ground a few meters next to Nanoha. After a few seconds, Nanoha got to her feet and smiled at Miyu.

"Well then Miyu… I think we should end this battle off here. You've passed." she announced with a grin. Miyu smiled widely as Nanoha flew back over to her.

"I-I did? Yay…" she sighed with relief. "I wasn't sure if I could've lasted any longer… it's hard for me to fight aerial mages."

"I can understand that. But you have ways to cover your weaknesses right? You know how to use tactics and your environment to your advantage. You didn't hesitate to take advantage of every opportunity that came up. You have some pretty strong defensive spells too… You and Panzerglaive are tough like steel."

"T-Thank you very much." Miyu bowed politely. "I didn't want to fail… so I went all out." she stated, smiling slightly. "I'm sorta famous around St. Hilde because of my defenses… They call me the Iron Princess because they're so tough."

"It really suits you!" Nanoha said happily, "Anyways. Congratulations. You are now officially an A rank! I'm sure your parents will be proud. You're dismissed."

"Thank you again…" Miyu smiled as she bowed again, heading down to ground level and started heading to the train station, deactivating her barrier jacket and un-deploying her device. It was really a happy moment for her. She couldn't wait to get home so she could contact her best friend that she met as a child and tell him about her achievement. He joined the TSAB the previous year and she guessed that he would be happy to know that they might be working side-by-side soon since he was in the Ground Forces as well.  _"Ethan… He's going to be so excited! I...finally… did it!"_


	2. Ethan Colbert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter introduces another of the main characters, Ethan Colbert.

**July 17th**

**3:07PM**

**Central Mid-Childa**

**Cranagan**

**Mayuzumi Residence**

The ride home from northern Mid-Childa was a relaxing one for Miyu. She was able to sit back and release all tension of the leftover tension. Now that she actually passed, she had no reason to feel nervous anymore. She'd used everything in her arsenal that she could and it led her to victory. After she got into her house, she went right up to her room and laid down on her bed. Letting out a soft sigh, she contacted Ethan. "Ethan!"

Ethan jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of a screen displaying Miyu's face in front of him. He was currently headed home from a trip to the grocery store. "O-Oh… Hey Miyu… This is sudden. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry." Miyu said with a giggle. "Anyways! I have great news!"

"And what's that?" Ethan asked, stopping in front of his house as he unlocked the front door.

"I joined the Ground Forces recently and I just passed another ranking exam! I'm A rank now!" she stated happily, rolling over onto her back.

"Seriously? Wow… You're amazing Miyu…" Ethan said with a shocked expression on his face.

"You and Cryohunter are amazing too! You're really good at swordplay and you also have Cryohunter's Shackle form with those awesome chain blades, plus you can fly!" she replied, a hint of jealousy creeping into her voice.

"You think so? But I'm only a C rank…"

"Well, that's because you haven't tried to take any more ranking tests! You just stopped at C and you haven't tried to rank up since." Miyu stated, giving her friend a playfully angry look. "You should try to!"

"I'm fine where I am-" Ethan started, but he was cut off a second later.

"Don't you want to be a strong knight so you can show just how powerful Ethan Colbert can be? Seriously… When we were kids all you talked about was being the strongest knight that you could be."

"I know…" Ethan said with a sigh. "But ever since I got asked to train privately with Signum and Vita, I've been feeling kind of down about myself."

"You train with Signum and Vita privately? When did this happen?!" Miyu asked as she went wide-eyed.

"A few months ago…" Ethan mumbled as he began putting the groceries away.

"Do you have trouble keeping up with them or something?" Miyu questioned, sitting up on her bed.

"Oh no. I can keep up just fine. It's just…" his voice trailed off.

"Just what?" Miyu tilted her head to the side with a curious expression on her face.

"It's just… why me? I mean… I was raised by the Church for the most of my life as this little orphan boy and now I'm here… with this house all to myself and I'm being trained by those two combat geniuses."

"Ethan… you have no idea how privileged you are. I would love to be able to do as much as you do. There's obviously something special about you if you were ASKED to train with those two." Miyu muttered quietly.

"I guess…" Ethan stretched out his back after he finished putting away all of his groceries. "I actually have to head out to another training session in a few minutes so we can't talk much longer."

"Alright…" Miyu let out a soft sigh and slid off of her bed. "I'm going to go ahead and go to the Ground Forces HQ to see if I have anything to do yet."

"So you're heading to the TSAB Main Office…" Ethan articulated.

"Basically… but the Ground Forces HQ is there too, so I'm going to that specific part." Miyu replied, walking over to her closet and pulling out her Ground Forces uniform.

"Okay." Ethan nodded. "Hey, we should meet up and hang out sometime this week. When are you free?"

"Err…" Miyu thought for a few seconds and then she shrugged. "I dunno… maybe Saturday? Depends on if I actually get a mission or not…"

"Alright. We'll just have to wait and see what happens then." Ethan replied with a small smile on his lips.

"Mhm." Miyu nodded as she closed her closet doors. "I'll talk to you later. I gotta change." After saying goodbye, Miyu terminated the connection and changed into her Ground Forces uniform, which was mostly medium brown, with dark brown shoulders. She took a quick glance at herself in the mirror on her wall before heading out of the house again.

**3:59PM**

**Central Mid-Childa**

**Cranagan**

**TSAB Main Office**

**TSAB Ground Forces HQ**

The walk to the Main Office only took a few minutes for Miyu. Her family didn't live that far from the building, so it was only a few blocks away. Once inside the building, she headed to the section used by the Ground Forces. As she was turning a corner, she spotted her father headed down the hallway in her direction. "Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you worked in the Dimensional Navy."

"Well hello to you too Miyu." he smiled down at his daughter as he stopped in front of her. "And I do. I'm just here because of a case I'm dealing with."

"Ooohh~ What's it about?" Miyu asked with a spark of curiosity in her eyes.

"Mages around Mid-Childa are being attacked by a mysterious intruder and end in a critical state afterwards with their magical energy drained."

"So… someone's siphoning energy from the mages' Linker Cores? That sounds similar to that Book of Darkness incident that went on a few years ago…"

"Well, this time its been confirmed that its a lone person doing this. This case has been going on for a few days now, but we have no major leads yet… All we know is that the attacker is a woman, but no one has been able to describe how she looks."

"Hmm…" Miyu looked off to the side in thought then returned her gaze to her father. "Do you think a Lost Logia is involved?"

"It's a possibility, but we won't know for awhile. I was here to see if anyone happened to see any suspicious activity going on around. I have nothing yet." her father said tiredly.

"I see…" Miyu mumbled, stepping closer to her father and giving him a quick hug. "Oh! Did you know that I passed my A rank test today?" she smiled up at him.

"Really? That's excellent. Look at you… My little girl's becoming something great. You're getting closer and closer to becoming an Enforcer like me." Mr. Mayuzumi stated with a bright smile.

"Yeah I am! I'll make you an Mom proud by becoming one of the best mages the TSAB has ever seen!" Miyu said confidently, stepping away from her father and putting her hands behind her back.

"Seeing your bright smile and your display of determination is always a sight for sore eyes and a spirit lifter, but I think its about time that I get back to where I belong. I'll see you later today at dinner." Miyu's father gently kissed her on the forehead and continued down the hallway until he disappeared around the corner.

"Yeah, see you later!" Miyu waved after him and turned back towards the direction she was originally walking in. "Alright. Time to go and see if it's time for me to get my first mission." With that said, Miyu jogged down the hallway and entered the main area of the Ground Forces HQ.


	3. Approaching Danger

**July 17th**

**10:37PM**

**Central Mid-Childa**

**Cranagan**

**Mayuzumi Residence**

Miyu returned home after spending a few hours at the Ground Forces HQ. Unfortunately, she hadn't received a mission yet so she was free until further notice. Entering her room, she changed out of her Ground Forces uniform and debated if she should wash it or not for a few seconds. Miyu eventually decided against it and hung it up in her closet again. Afterwards, she laid down on her bed and pulled Panzerglaive off of her neck.

"Panzerglaive… I'm wondering why mom and dad aren't home yet… It's almost 11PM." Miyu said to her Device with a worried tone of voice.

"Do not worry. I am sure they will be here soon." Panzerglaive replied.

"If you say so…" Miyu sighed softly. Rolling over onto her stomach she buried her face in her pillow and exhaled deeply. She was trying to ignore how hungry she was. Truthfully, she had no idea of how to cook anything at all. For her entire life since her childhood, all she focused on was combat training. She only wanted to get better and better at combat. After a few minutes, Miyu heard the front door open and she immediately sat straight up in bed. Quickly exiting the room, she flew downstairs and came face to face with her mother. Miyu had a bright smile on her face, but her mother did not. This immediately caused Miyu's expression to change to one of concern. "Mom? What's wrong?" Miyu noticed that her mother's face was stained with tears. "Mom..?"

"Miyu..!" Miyu's mother unexpectedly threw her arms around Miyu and started weeping heavily. Miyu gently rubbed her mother's back and let out a quiet sigh. "Let's get you to the couch…" Helping her mother over to the small black couch in the living room, Miyu held onto her mother's hands and wiped her tears away. "Mom… tell me what happened."

"Your father… he was-" her mother cut herself off, choked up on her own words.

"Was what..?" Miyu took a few seconds to think. "Don't tell me… was he..?" she gazed intensely into her mother's eyes.

"I got a call telling me to go to Cranagan's Medical Center and that it was urgent… so I hurried over there as quickly as I could…" Miyu's mother took a moment to calm her breathing. "A-And… your father was there and he was seriously injured… The doctors said that he was dangerously close to death…"

Miyu tsked to herself and stood up quickly, turning to where her back was facing her mother. "Today I saw dad at the Ground Forces HQ and he told me that he was working on a case about mages being attacked by a mysterious woman that leaves them in life threatening conditions, then she robs them of the majority of their Linker Core energy…" Clenching her fists and turned back towards her mother. "Dad's become a victim of it…"

Hearing those words caused her mother to burst into another crying fit. Miyu immediately moved over to her and hugged her mother tightly.

"That person is horrible… Shiro never did anything to deserve that! So why was he attacked..?!" her mother asked shakily.

"I don't know… but… mom! I'm going to the TSAB headquarters right now!" Miyu let go of her mother and started running towards the door, but Tsugumi quickly latched onto her arm.

"No! I don't want you to get hurt too… that maniac is still out there!" her mother begged.

"I'm sorry… but I have to go! I have an idea…" Miyu replied, looking back at her mother with a soft gaze.

"No… Miyu… I'm your mother… Listen to me! I… I forbid you to leave this house right now…" her mother countered.

Miyu tugged her arm away and shook her head. "I'm sorry mom… but I'm going to have to ignore your orders for once. I have to go… Don't worry about me! I have Panzerglaive and I'm an A rank now! I survived in a match against Nanoha Takamachi… the Ace of Aces herself! So have faith in me… I'll be fine." Tsugumi immediately went quiet and wiped her eyes.

"Right… My little girl is growing up… You're a part of the TSAB now… so of course dangerous situations are expected… But I'll have faith in you. Getting A rank is an exceptional achievement in itself…" her mother's voice trailed off as she sniffed. "Alright… I'll trust you just this once. Promise me you'll come back here okay?"

"I promise." Miyu nodded confidently.

"Then go… quickly." Tsugumi replied.

Miyu gave another nod before running towards the front door. Tsugumi called out to her again before she could open the door. "Wait!"

Glancing back over her shoulder, Miyu looked back towards her mother. "What?"

"At least… let me transport you… It'll be faster." Tsugumi stated with a thin, faded smile. Miyu headed back over to her mother and closed her eyes.

"Alright…"

A Mid-Childan magic circle appeared under Tsugumi as she took a deep breath. "Long Distance Transfer." she muttered quietly. Miyu gave a small smile as her form disappeared into thin air. All her mother could do was smile back. "Good luck… my dear daughter…"

**10:52PM**

**Dimensional Space**

**TSAB Headquarters**

The next time that Miyu opened her eyes, she found herself in the massive space station known as the TSAB headquarters. Looking around, she slowly began heading down the corridor she had appeared in. "Who was dad's commanding officer again? It was F something… Faith… Faye… something like that…" she mumbled to herself as she wandered. She eventually bumped into a blonde haired woman coming out of a room to her right. "Ah-"

"Hm? You're an new face around here." the blonde woman noted.

"Yeah… I'm Shiro Mayuzumi's daughter. I'm Miyu Mayuzumi." Miyu replied, looking up at her.

"Oh? So you're the girl that Shiro always talks about? I can see the resemblance. Also… I heard that you managed to last in a match against Nanoha and get A rank? Good job!" the woman smiled.

"Y-Yeah…" Miyu nodded, going quiet for a few seconds. "Wait… how did you know that I went against her today?"

"Nanoha is my best friend." the woman stated.. "She tells me everything."

"I see… Anyways! I'm looking for someone… my dad's commanding officer. I think her name was Faith… or Faye… something with F!"

"I think you are talking about Fate."

"Yeah! Fate! That's the name. Where can I find her?" Miyu questioned.

"You're looking at her."

"Eh? So you're Fate?" Miyu went wide eyed.

"Yes." Fate nodded, giggling slightly.

"Oh…" Miyu's cheeks became slightly tinted with red from embarrassment. "I can't believe I forgot your name.. even though my dad mentioned it so many times…"

"It's fine. My full name is Fate T. Harlaown. The T stands for Testarossa." Fate replied with a smile.

"Harlaown… That's the last name that my friend from school has…" Miyu muttered, "But that's besides the point! Officer Fate! I'm here because I have a request!"

"And that request is?" Fate asked curiously.

"I'd like to take my dad's place in the incident he is working on!" Miyu spoke, the determination evident in her voice.

"You're only a new recruit in the TSAB… I'm not sure you can handle this level of work." Fate replied calmly.

"But still… This is my dad we're talking about… He taught me everything that he knows. I can handle these sort of things… Panzerglaive and I are strong! We don't go down easily!" Miyu urged. She really wanted to continue her father's work.

"I can tell that you have a lot of resolve… that's a good thing." Fate thought for a few seconds before the smile returned to her face. "Alright. I'll let you help… at least with researching, since Shiro was taking care of that task. Tell me Miyu… do you know what Lost Logia are?" she asked.

"Yes." Miyu replied with a nod.

"We've recently discovered that a Lost Logia is involved in this incident thanks to your father's hard work. It is an item called the Gear of Judgement. It is a Lost Logia that casts its judgement upon a person if given the order to by its master. The "trial" determines if the person has what it depicts as "True Strength" or not. If the test is positive, the Gear of Judgement will give a tremendous power boost to that person… if it is negative, it generates a magical spear called Gungnir that will impale the prosecuted person and sap them of their magical energy… The power boost that it gives to the positive person depends on how many negatives it sapped power from before…"

"That sounds really dangerous and risky… Why would someone make that kind of thing?" Miyu asked, horrified.

"The thirst for power probably." Fate replied, sighing lightly. "Anyways… if you're prepared to work, then I'd like you to get started right away."

"Yes ma'am." Miyu nodded, giving Fate a salute.

"And I wish you good luck." Fate added.

"I'll need it…" Miyu smiled weakly. With that said, Fate waved to Miyu and headed off to do other things. Letting out a soft sigh, Miyu leaned against the wall and crossed her arms across her chest. "For some reason I feel like I got myself into one of the biggest messes ever… but if it's for my family's well being, then I'll go through anything to protect them…"


	4. Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Ayase's mother is an adopted daughter of Fate.

**July 20**

**The path to St. Hilde Magic Academy**

**Cranagan**

**8:00 AM**

A few days after negotiating with Fate, Miyu was ready for her first day of high school. She took the train like always, and walked the rest of the way to the school on foot. Letting out a small yawn, she ran her hands through her hair and sighed softly. "I am so unprepared for this today…"

"Hey, Mizu!"

Miyu looked back over her shoulder to see a green haired girl dressed in the St. Hilde High School uniform running up towards her.

"Ayase! My name is Miyu, not Mizu! Geez..." Miyu replied with a pout as she continued walking forward. About a second later, Ayase was right next to her.

"Well. I am sorry, /Miyu/." Ayase answered with a playful tone.. "By the way, did you receive your class assignment yet?" Ayase asked calmly as she started playing with the hood on Miyu's hoodie.

"I actually haven't been here for a couple of days. Major TSAB stuff... so no." Miyu replied, shaking her head.

"I see. Luckily for you, my Aunt Vivio got a copy of your class assignment. Looks like you and I are going to be classmates again." Ayase replied, handing Miyu a folded piece of paper. Miyu took the piece of paper and gave a small nod

"Tell her thanks for me," Miyu replied. Looking downward, she quickly read over what was on the paper. Once Miyu finished, she glanced up at Ayase, who was looking around.

"Hm?" Miyu questioned. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. One of my so called "suitors" is nearby. So, let's hurry up and get to school." Ayase answered a few seconds later, starting to pick up the pace slightly.

"Alright." Miyu nodded, wondering if the situation was dangerous or not. After a few minutes, Miyu and Ayase reached the entrance to the St. Hilde Magic Academy High School Building.

"Speaking of the TSAB, what branch have you decided to join?" Ayase asked curiously as she checked her watch. They directed themselves over to a set of benches and sat down.

"I'm a part of the Ground Forces at the moment... but I aim to be an Enforcer in the future like my dad!" Miyu stated in a serious tone, her determination showing in her eyes.

"Congratulations! As for me, if I were to join the TSAB, I would join the Air Force. That is the only branch where I could be as free as the wind." Ayase answered with a slight smile on her face.

"I'm wondering... do you know how to fly? Aerial mages are pretty hard for me to deal with since I'm a mostly a close combat type mage." Miyu asked curiously.

"I do." Ayase answered calmly.

"I wish I could fly... Or at least have some spell that'll help me do it. It would be nice…" Miyu briefly glanced down at Panzerglaive, which was in its undeployed necklace form around her neck.

"If you want, I can teach you a skill that mimics flying to a certain extent." Ayase stated, placing her hand on Miyu's shoulder

"Levitation?" Miyu asked, tilting her head to the side. Ayase giggled slightly before looking at Miyu.

"Not really. It's much better than Levitation. Maybe, I'll show you during lunch." Ayase answered calmly after she finished her giggling fit.

"I can't wait." Miyu replied with a big smile on her face. Ayase smiled slightly, thinking for a second.

"You should start slow when you practice the skill. I kind of overdid it and ended up spraining my ankle." Ayase warned as she looked at Miyu.

"I'll make sure to do that. " Miyu acknowledged the warning, then she stood up and stretched. "So, when does school start?" she asked, and Ayase quickly checked her watch.

"We have 30 minutes until class starts. Let's head to the classroom and get some of the better seats," she answered as she stood up as well.

"Alright." Miyu smiled and nodded. The two entered the high school building and went right to Classroom 2A. They both took seats in the front of the class. There were only a few other students in the room, all off in groups conversing with each other. Miyu and Ayase talked for awhile before a teacher who was wearing Archeologists clothes entered the class with some books in his arms. Miyu turned her attention to the teacher immediately and fell silent.

"Good morning, everyone." The teacher called out with a cheerful voice. The teacher ordered the class to sit down before introducing himself as Dr. Crusoe, the head of TSAB's Archeology office. He quickly went through all the formalities and got onto teaching a lesson on ancient magic civilizations. Dr. Crusoe opened a textbook before writing the word Sylphia on the board. He then turned around and asked the class a question.

"Have any of you heard about the planet of Sylphia?" he asked with a smile on his face. The class was dead silent except for a few whispers here and there. Dr. Crusoe took the silence as a "no" and began explaining to the class about the planet. "The planet of Sylphia is a long lost planet which existed before the time of the Ancient Belkan Empire. The cause of the planet's disappearance is unknown but we do know that its civilization has an extremely high affinity for wind magic." The teacher explained before pinning a picture on the board. The picture has a dark emerald insignia which consisted of a leaf which was surrounded by a spiral of wind.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I ask what are we seeing in that picture?" A male student asked, raising his hand. Dr. Crusoe thanked the student for asking the question before explaining the picture to the class.

"That… is the insignia of the planet of Sylphia. It is said that the modern day descendants of the Sylphian civilization have that insignia as a birthmark. There is a rumor going around that a descendant of the Sylphian civilization is currently in this room." Dr. Crusoe explained calmly while pacing back and forth in the front of the classroom. Miyu glanced over at Ayase after a few seconds and saw that she looked pale.

"Ayase? Are you okay?" she whispered with a concerned look on her face. Ayase didn't get a chance to answer before Dr. Crusoe walked over to her. He took a quick look at Ayase's face and noticed how badly she was sweating.

"Are you alright, Miss Harlaown? You look a little pale in the face. If you are feeling sick, I suggest that you head over to the infirmary." Dr. Crusoe suggested. Ayase nodded her head as she slowly got up and headed towards the door. Dr. Crusoe then turned his attention to Miyu.

"Excuse me, Miss Mayuzumi. Can you take Miss Harlaown to the Infirmary?" Dr. Crusoe requested as Ayase slowly walked towards the classroom door.

"Yes sir." Miyu replied as she quickly got to her feet and hurried after Ayase. Ayase allowed Miyu to help her towards the Infirmary. After a few minutes, both Ayase and Miyu made it to the Infirmary where the nurse quickly checked Ayase over. Afterwards, the nurse told Ayase lie down on the bed to rest.

"Your friend will be all right. She just needs some rest. You can sit in the chair next to the bed if you want. I'll call your teacher to tell him that Ayase will be back just before the final lesson ends." The nurse explained as she left the room, leaving the two girls alone.

"That's good to know..." Miyu mumbled quietly. She slipped into the chair next to the bed with her gaze focused on Ayase. Miyu was quiet for a few moments before she finally spoke up. "Hey... What happened back there, if you don't mind telling me?" Miyu asked in a concerned tone. Ayase looked down towards the floor before letting out a sigh. She turned her gaze to Miyu after a few seconds. Clearing her throat, she began to speak.

"Rather than telling you, I'd rather show you. I think you deserve to know since you are my closest friend." Ayase answered before quietly taking off her dark green blazer. She then started slowly unbuttoning her dress shirt.   
  
"Wh-" Miyu went wide eyed, about to speak in protest, but Ayase just shook her head. Sliding her left arm out of the sleeve of her dress shirt, Ayase revealed a dark emerald colored birthmark on her left shoulder. The birthmark consisted of a leaf which was surrounded in a spiral of wind which was identical to the picture Dr. Crusoe showed them in class.

"So you're a descendant of the Ancient Sylphian civilization? Woah... awesome!" Miyu replied quietly as she gazed at the birthmark. After a few moments, Ayase let out a sigh before buttoning up her dress shirt again.

"Thanks, Miyu. I am glad to have you as a friend." Ayase answered calmly before smiling slightly. Ayase's smile disappeared suddenly and she dived off the bed, grabbing onto Miyu in the process. They both landed on the ground just as an arrow broke through the window and embedded itself in the wall three inches above Miyu's head.

"W-What the heck?!" Miyu gasped, her gaze shooting over to the window. Her left hand immediately went to her Panzerglaive, wrapping her hand around it. Ayase silently motioned to Miyu to stop before quietly standing up. She spotted a cloaked figure outside standing on a platform made of wind. The cloaked figure was ready to shoot another arrow, but the person lowered the bow when Ayase stood up.

"Who in the world are you?" Ayase asked in calmly serious voice, causing the cloaked figured to chuckle slightly and look at Ayase with displeasure.

"So you don't recognize a fellow member of your own race. Your time on this planet has been a bad influence on you. I guess I need to remedy that by taking care of your friend." The cloaked figure answered tauntingly as he slowly pointed the bow at Miyu and fired. Ayase just stood there quietly before a smile slowly appeared on her face. Soon after, a wall of wind materialized in front of Miyu. The arrow hit the wall of wind with enough force to release a backblast. The arrow tried to use the rest of its momentum to pierce through the wind wall but the wind wall created had enough resistance that the arrow stopped moving entirely.

"What the heck is going on?" Miyu hissed quietly. She kept her gaze focused on the attacker, glaring at him. Ayase looked down at Miyu to see if she was okay. Miyu looked unharmed so Ayase turned back towards the cloaked figure who snickered sinisterly as he prepared to fire another arrow. Ayase took a deep breath before looking at the man with a vengeful look.

"Armor Jacket, materialize!" Ayase called out before a mini wind vortex made of radiant, emerald green energy appeared and engulfed her. Miyu glanced over at her with a confused yet excited expression on her face. She had no idea what was going on, but it really got the blood pumping through her veins.

"This guy could be very dangerous... I'll transform if needed..." Miyu said quietly as the wind vortex surrounding Ayase disappeared, revealing Ayase dressed in her Armor Jacket. She had a high tech compound bow in her right hand. Turning to look at Miyu, she gave her a reassuring smile.

"If you need me to step in... just tell me. Panzerglaive and I will blow this guy away!" Miyu stated confidently. Ayase nodded in response before raising her bow and taking aim at the cloaked figure. Quickly pulling back on the bowstring with her left hand, radiant green mana formed itself into the shape of an arrow. The cloaked figure fired his arrow at Ayase but the wind generated by Ayase's blew it away so that it hit the window frame. After fully charging the mana arrow, Ayase released the bowstring which caused the arrow to shoot forward at extremely high speeds. The cloaked figure tried to form a wind barrier but Ayase's mana arrow sped through before the barrier was fully formed and hit the cloaked figure in the shoulder. The force of the mana arrow knocked the cloaked figure off the wind platform and propelled him into one of the trees outside of the campus.

 _'I didn't think arrows could be that strong...'_ Miyu thought to herself with an amazed expression. Ayase lowed her bow after a few more seconds.

"Are you alright, Miyu?" Ayase asked in a concerned tone as she glanced over at her friend.

"Y-Yeah. Just kind of surprised... that's all." Miyu replied as she got on her feet. Ayase chuckled hesitantly while running her left hand down the braid in her hair. Checking over her shoulder, she looked at which tree the mysterious figure crashed into. He seemed to be out cold. A few moments later, she turned and looked at Miyu apologetically.

"I am sorry, Miyu. This isn't really how I want to explain things to you." Ayase said as she dispelled the wind wall that was in front of Miyu.

"You know that I learn things better through actions than through words." Miyu joked teasingly. "But it's nice to finally know this about you."

"What do you think of my Armor Jacket, Miyu?" Ayase asked curiously as she opened her backpack in search of her cellphone. Ayase fumbled through all the stuff she carried in her backpack before taking out a black PDA phone.

"It suits you. Though... I've never heard of an Armor Jacket before." Miyu replied with a smile on her face. Ayase quickly looked through her phonebook before finding her mother's number and dialing it.

"An Armor Jacket is the Sylphian version of the Barrier Jacket and it provides the perfect balance of mobility and defense." Ayase explained as her call made it through to her mother's cellphone.

"Interesting..." Miyu stated, giving a small nod before looking out of the window.

Ayase had a short conversation explaining the situation to her mother and hung up after the call was finished. "Miyu. I just called my mother and she is sending the TSAB Police down here. She is the Head Enforcer of the TSAB's Central Office." Ayase explained calmly before sitting down on the bed and resting her bow on her lap. Miyu seemed interested in Ayase's bow, so Ayase quietly motioned for Miyu to hold her hands out. As soon as Miyu did so, Ayase placed her bow into Miyu's hands. "My device's name is Windstrider and this is her deployed state. Ayase explained to Miyu. Miyu tested the weight for a bit before giving a look of surprise.

"It's so light…"

"Well, Windstrider was specifically designed for me by the TSAB Engineering Department at my mother's request. It is based off an Ancient Sylphian bow design which had some upgrades which makes it more efficient in combat. It is made from a composite alloy which makes it light and durable. One of the upgrades my mother requested was an auto-loader." Ayase explained calmly as she pointed to the emerald and gold colored box which had a golden arrow holding ring mounted on the left hand side. It was mounted on the lower end of the half oval-shaped piece of metal which formed the center part of the bow.

"I see... You must be really accurate with it." Miyu's voice trailed off for a few seconds. Ayase chuckled slightly while scratching her head.

"Well, you could say that Miyu, but I am required to be extremely accurate with it or I wouldn't have been able to get a license to carry/use Windstrider." Ayase explained calmly and she started to go through the other features of Windstrider. Miyu listened to everything that Ayase had to say, the glint of curiosity in her eye never leaving. "Another upgrade my mother requested was a removable sniper kit which mounts onto Windstrider, but I never use it. One of the personal touches I added are the two Wind Energy/Mana Capacitors which stores both Wind Energy and Mana." Ayase explained as she pointed to the each of the circular dynamo devices which were connected to either the upper or lower limb by a hydraulic piston.

"Amazing..." Miyu stated with a smile. Ayase smile slightly as she detached flexible orange limbs from the upper and lower portions of the bow with the bowstring still attached. Taking out two flexible gold colored limbs, she inserted them where the orange ones used to be. She then took out an emerald colored bowstring and attached them to the pulley system at the end of the limbs. As soon as Ayase was finished, she slung the bow over her shoulder before deactivating her Armor Jacket. A few seconds later, the door of the Infirmary opened and a TSAB Police Officer walked in. Miyu turned her attention over to the door.

"They're here," Miyu mumbled to Ayase. Ayase just shrugged as she stood up. The TSAB Police Officer looked at Miyu and Ayase for awhile before speaking up.

"Excuse me. Are you Ayase T. Harlaown?" The officer asked as he looked back and forth at the two girls. Ayase quickly waved to the officer which directed his attention to her. Ayase stood there smiling slightly as she waited for the officer to respond. "We have received a phone call from Enforcer Alyssa T. Harlaown regarding you getting attacked by an unknown assailant. The TSAB would like to take a formal statement from you and your friend regarding the manner." The officer explained calmly. Miyu just nodded and glanced over at Ayase.

"Let's go, Miyu. I was planning to go to the TSAB Central Office anyways." Ayase commented as she slung her backpack over her shoulder before walking towards the TSAB Police Officer.

"Right." Miyu replied with a nod as she followed Ayase out of the Infirmary.

**TSAB Central Office**

**Central Cranagan**

**11:00 AM**

Ayase and Miyu were both teleported to the outside of the TSAB Central Office building. They were escorted into the lobby where Ayase's mother was waiting for them with another woman who had brown hair styled in a ponytail, blue eyes, and was wearing glasses. Ayase quickly waved to her mother which caused her smile slightly as she waved back. Ayase's mother walked towards the TSAB Police Officer and told him that she could take care of the interview and that he could go home.

"Thank you, Enforcer Harlaown!" The TSAB Police Officer exclaimed as he waved goodbye to Ayase and Miyu before rushing out the front door of the building.

"Mom? Why are you here too?" Miyu asked the brown haired woman with the glasses.

"Enforcer Harlaown told me that you were attacked so I hurried over." her mother replied. Miyu could see that her mother had been crying again.

"Oh... I see." Miyu nodded. Miyu's mother then turned to look at Ayase with a serious look on her face.

"You should have called someone sooner instead of fighting back. It could have ended up with you two getting hurt." Miyu's mother scolded Miyu and Ayase.

Ayase quietly brought up a holographic screen which showed her ID. Afterwards, Ayase looked at Miyu's mother.

"Mom-" Miyu started, but she cut herself off once she heard Ayase begin to speak.

"In response to that, I am authorized by the TSAB to use force to protect people. I suggest that you look at the Mage Status portion of my ID. I am a Contract Mage for the TSAB." Ayase countered calmly as she moved the screen closer to Miyu's mother.

"I didn't know that." Miyu's mother replied after taking a closer look at the screen before she nodded slowly.

"I'm a part of the TSAB remember... I didn't need to call for help..." Miyu mumbled. Ayase let out a sigh of relief before quietly watching the exchange between Miyu and her mother.

"But you're only a trainee dear." Miyu's mother replied to her daughter.

"But an A rank trainee!" Mizu exclaimed in her own defense.

"Still a trainee." her mother stated. Miyu pouted and crossed her arms across her chest.

"That doesn't matter..." Miyu mumbled quietly under her breath. Ayase and her mother exchanged looks before Ayase's mother decided to jump into the conversation. Ayase's mother coughed one to clear her throat before speaking.

"Tsugumi. You should learn to have faith in your daughter. If you continue to treat her like a child, you will hold her back from her achieving her full potential. Listen to me when I say this, I want you to sit on the sideline and only help her when she absolutely needs it." Ayase's mother explained calmly as Ayase listened quietly with a slight smile on her face.

"I understand." Tsugumi nodded, sighing softly. Miyu nodded as well and wrapped her left hand around Panzerglaive.

"You know that I'll never go down easily. Especially not to some random person." Miyu said determinedly.

"I trust you..." Tsugumi said to Miyu. After a few seconds, one of Tsugumi's co-workers contacted her, relaying a quick distress message to her. Miyu couldn't manage to make out a word he was saying, but it seemed urgent.   
  
"Mom-" Miyu began, but she was quickly cut off.

"Enforcer Harlaown, there is a little problem going on back in my department and I need to go help out with it. May I be dismissed?" she asked. Ayase's mother nodded and Tsugumi smiled over at Miyu. "Miyu, can you stop by the store on your way out of here?" Tsugumi asked.

"Yeah." Miyu replied, nodding.

"Thanks." Tsugumi smiled at her daughter before hurrying out of the area. Miyu watched her mother leave before she heard something that sparked her interest.

"Welcome to the TSAB Air Force, Ayase." she head Ayase's mother say.

"Did I miss something?" Miyu asked in a totally lost tone as she turned around towards them." she saw a woman with brown hair tied in a side ponytail dressed in the Air Force's uniform walk towards her. It was Nanoha. Miyu hadn't noticed that she came in.

"Ayase just became a member of the TSAB Air Forces. Apparently, the report of her assisting in the apprehension of a criminal today has shown command that Ayase does have what it takes to be an Aerial Mage." Nanoha explained.

"T-That so?" Miyu stuttered. She was still feeling nervous around Nanoha for some reason."C-Congratulations Ayase!" Miyu exclaimed excitedly. Ayase smiled slightly at Miyu before looking at her mother. Nanoha waved goodbye to the three and walked away since she had to get going to attend to her duties. Ayase's mother smiled slightly before clearing her throat.

"Ayase. Miyu. Since both of you are below the age of 18, you two will be paired togethe during missions. Also, both of you are also limited to two missions per week unless there is an emergency where we need more people. I expect the best out of you two." Ayase's mother explained as Ayase and Miyu listened carefully.

"I have one mission already..." Miyu mumbled extremely quietly, glancing off to the side. Ayase noticed Miyu's action, which piqued her curiosity but she decided to hold off on asking about it until later on. Ayase's mother then dismissed them for the day. Nodding, Ayase began heading towards the door.

"Okay, Mom. I am going to do some Parkour while I go grocery shopping downtown. What do you want to eat today, Mom?"she asked as she was about to step outside.

"Well, I am in the mood for Katsudon today, Ayase." Ayase's mother answered calmly as Ayase turned her head and nodded before walking out of the door. After Ayase left, Ayase's mother remembered something and turned to Miyu, telling her to follow her into her office. She had an update on Miyu's father. Miyu followed her silently, wondering what was going on.

**Enforcer Alyssa T Harlaown's Office**

**TSAB Central Office**

**12:30 PM**

"Please sit down." Alyssa suggested as she motioned towards the chair in front of her desk.

"What's going on..?" Miyu asked as sat down. Alyssa waited for Miyu to sit before she started talking.

"I have an update from the hospital about your father." Alyssa explained calmly as she waited for Miyu's response. Alyssa took out some paperwork and placed it on her desk.

"Really? Tell me please." Miyu replied while folding her hands in her lap. Alyssa responded with a soft smile. She completely understood what Miyu was going through so she could sympathize with her.

"Your father is cleared to be discharged from the hospital. He hasn't suffered any long term damage from the incident but I recommended that he take some time off. So, I arranged for him to take a few months of medical leave with full pay. Also, I also arranged for a psychologist to be made available to your father just in case if he develops some psychological problems due to the shock of the incident." Alyssa explained calmly as she handed Miyu her father's medical release forms. Miyu let out of a sigh of relief and smiled.

"I'm glad... Mom would be devastated if anything worse happened. When I visited him at 3AM the next morning... they said he wouldn't be able to use much magic for a while. They said his Linker Core needed time to replenish itself. How long will that take?" Miyu asked. Alyssa smiled slightly as she took a deep breath.

"Well, about that. Unfortunately, considering your father's age, it would take at least approximately 2 years for him to regain all the mana he lost." Alyssa answered calmly as she handed Miyu another report from Shamal, the TSAB's doctor.

"Who's going to take his place as an Enforcer until he gets back to that level?" Miyu asked.

"My friend, Teana Lanster is currently taking over your father's assignments. Also, about that. I heard that you want to take over your father's position." Alyssa replied in a rather serious tone as she looked at straight into Miyu's eyes.

"Yes..." Miyu answered as she nodded her head. Alyssa let out a sigh of relief and shook her head.

"I have to commend you on your willingness to take your father's place but I can't officially allow you to do that. Being an Enforcer requires a certain skillset that takes years to develop. Also, if you screw up as an Enforcer, all the consequences fall on your shoulders." Alyssa explained calmly. Miyu was wondering if Alyssa knew that she had already taken his place in the current Gear of Judgment incident.

"I know that." Miyu replied calmly as Alyssa continued to look at Miyu seriously.

"Also, there is a reason why I teamed you up with Ayase." Alyssa added calmly as she smiles slyly.

"Hm? And what is that reason?" Miyu asked curiously.

"Well, to keep an eye on you. I already know that my mother, Fate, has granted you permission to work on the Gear of Judgement case. Also, Ayase has been worried about you recently." Alyssa explained as she ran her hand through her crimson red hair.

 _'Information spreads so fast...'_ Miyu thought to herself. "I'm going to prove myself by figuring the case out." Miyu stated, the confidence and determination showing on her features."But... Why is Ayase worried about me? Miyu asked with a confused expression.

Alyssa shook her head slightly before looking up at Miyu again. "Again, I commend your determination but I can't allow you to officially handle the case. But, I'll allow you to assist with minor details. Ayase will help too. Also, about Ayase, she sensed some sadness within you the last couple days and she wanted to know why you were sad." Alyssa explained as she got up and made herself of coffee.

"I see." Miyu nodded. She /had/ been sort of sad for the past couple of days, but she realized that she shouldn't let it get to her. "I understand." Miyu added,which earned her a smile from Alyssa. Alyssa excused Miyu a few second later and Miyu started heading to the exit. Before she could make it to the door, Alyssa walked over to Miyu with a bouquet of flowers.

"These are for your father. Can you tell him I said "hi"?" Alyssa asked while smiling at Miyu.

"I'll do that on my way from the grocery store." Miyu replied with a nod. Alyssa waved goodbye and Miyu left the office.

"I hope you know what you are getting yourself into, Miyu." Alyssa mumbled quietly as she sipped on her cup of coffee and looked out of the window.

**Cranagan**

**Cranagan Shopping District**

**1:07PM**

After leaving the Main Office, Miyu headed to the Shopping District to get some shopping done for her mother. She walked out of the grocery with the bags around her arm once she finished and looked up at the sky. "I wonder what time it is…" she said to herself, yawning slightly. Looking down into one of the bags, she spotted the flowers that Alyssa gave her earlier. "Oh yeah, gotta get these to dad." she started heading down the street while checking the bags.

"Sir." Panzerglaive flashed as Miyu looked up again.

"Hm?" Miyu looked and spotted a white haired woman standing in front of them. "Do you want something?" she asked. The figure just smirked and raised her hand into the air. A purple magic circle appeared underfoot and she whispered something inaudible. Miyu gasped, realizing too late that the figure just used a force-field containment spell. It covered all up to a block around them. "This is…" The woman continued to smirk as a wooden staff appeared in her hands.

"Are you a strong girl~?" the woman asked as she pointed her staff at Miyu and began floating into the air.

"What do you think you're doing? Challenging a TSAB member out in broad daylight… just who are you?" Miyu had so many questions about this person that just appeared before her.

"You ask so many questions like the rest… it's time for your trial~" the woman cooed, seven magical bullets appearing in the air around her.

"Don't tell me… are you that woman that's been going around attacking people in this whole Gear of Judgement incident?" Miyu asked, glaring at the woman.

"Oh I dunno… am I?" the woman smirked as she fired the bullets at Miyu.

"Round Shield." Panzerglaive announced as a red magic circle acting as a shield appeared in front of Miyu. The bullets connected with the shield and exploded into white smoke.

"Thanks." Miyu thanked Panzerglaive, then looked at her opponent with a serious expression. "You attacked my father… You injured him… Now I'm going to bring you down… I don't care that you can fly either!" she growled. "Panzerglaive! Set up!" she raised her fist into the air and her necklace flashed.

"Yes sir." Panzerglaive replied as Miyu quickly transformed into her barrier jacket.

"Discharge form." Panzerglaive transformed into its Discharge form quickly and Miyu pointed it at the woman.

"Ohh~? The little girl got serious!" the woman laughed as she raised her arm into the air. "Curse Two…" several orbs of energy began appearing in the air above her head. "Infernal Meteors!" the woman swung her arm downwards and the orbs began shooting towards Miyu like comets.

"Sentinel Defenser." Panzerglaive announced as a forcefield formed from hexagons appeared around Miyu. Once the attack stopped, Miyu activated Velocity Blazer and shot herself forward, getting behind the woman before she noticed. Spinning around in the air, she aimed Panzerglaive into the air and yelled. "Aero Torpedo!" she fired an energy blast right at the woman, but she suddenly disappeared into thin air before it hit. "What the… did she Teleport?" Miyu looked around left and right, wondering where she would appear.

"I'm not on the ground!" Miyu heard the woman yell and she looked up, spotting the woman falling towards her, a chain wrapped around her arm with a giant gear attached to it. Suddenly, an radiant emerald green mana arrow sailed through the air and hit the chain which was connected to the gear. The force of the arrow knocked the chain away so the gear missed Miyu's head. A second mana arrow followed afterward, this time aimed at the mysterious girl's head. Miyu saw the woman briefly show a look of surprise, so she took the opportunity to hit her in the stomach with a Crushing Whirlwind, sending her flying into the window of the grocery store. After a second or so, Miyu lowered her Device and let out a relieved sigh.

"You are quite a bold one to be attacking a TSAB Agent in broad daylight." Ayase commented.

"Ayase!" Miyu called out, turning towards the sound of her voice.

"Sir." Panzerglaive interrupted. Miyu stopped in her tracks and turned back towards the other woman. She was climbing back through the hole in the window, her clothes slightly torn.

"Oh? Another one has shown up?" the woman smirked, floating into the air again. "I wonder how you got through my isolation barrier."

"Really now, two loonies in one day." Ayase commented as she rose from the crouched position she was in on top of a nearby building. The woman was about to attack again, but her form flickered briefly, causing her to frown. 

"Aww... looks like my time here is up for now. It was nice playing with you~"

"What? You're not going anywhere!" Miyu activated Velocity Blazer again and shot towards the woman. Shooting her fist forward, she tried to hit the woman, but her fist connected with nothing but air. The woman had escaped by teleporting away. "No!" Miyu yelled as she slid to a stop. A few seconds later, Ayase made her way over to Miyu. "She got away..." Miyu mumbled quietly, punching the wall next to her so hard that it cracked slightly. It also hurt her hand a little. "She got away..."

"Don't worry, Miyu. The second arrow I shot at her was a tracking arrow." Ayase explained calmly as a small, red and black dragon appeared and landed on Ayase's right shoulder.

"Hello, Lady Ayase." The small dragon said respectfully as Ayase patted her head.

"Hello, Feuerdrache. Did you manage to track down the person who attacked Miyu?" Ayase asked calmly.

"I am sorry, Lady Ayase. I couldn't track her down." Feuerdrache replied. Ayase nodded and turned her attention to Miyu. Miyu was looking over at the groceries and the flowers, which had been ruined in the fight.

"She even destroyed the stuff…"

"Come on, Miyu. We can buy new ones. You can tag along with me, I haven't bought my groceries yet. I was busy Parkouring around town." Ayase suggested as she extended her right hand out. Miyu's clothes reverted back to their normal form and Panzerglaive went back to it undeployed form, revealing that Miyu had injured her hand when she punched the wall. Sighing softly, Ayase crouched down next to Miyu."Let me get that bruise patched up, Miyu." she said gently as she took out some antibiotic gel and sprayed it onto Miyu's injury. She wrapped a bandage around her hand after that. Miyu cast her gaze to the ground, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

"I couldn't do anything Ayase..."

"There. There. Its okay to cry, Miyu." Ayase answered caringly as she hugged Miyu.

"What am I supposed to do if I can't beat her...?" Miyu asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, next time we will be prepared to beat her." Ayase replied in an encouraging voice.

"I have absolutely nothing that could actually beat an Aerial Mage though..." Miyu replied quietly.

"I'll ask my mother to teach you some skills to deal with Aerial Mages. Let's go visit your father." Ayase answered calmly.

"Alright..." Miyu nodded, slowly getting to her feet. A fiery look was present in her eyes. "And once I learn more things... I'll make sure that woman thinks twice before hurting my family members again..."


	5. A Rare Moment

**July 20**

**Cranagan Medical Center**

**1:37PM**

It took a few minutes, but Miyu eventually was able to get the new groceries and flowers. After everything was taken care of, Miyu and Ayase headed to Cranagan's Medical Center. Once they arrived, they were informed that Miyu's father was currently having another check-up, so they would have to wait a couple of minutes before they could see him. Miyu replied to the information with a nod and headed over to a place to sit, plopping down and she started gently rubbing her injured hand. "I shouldn't have punched that wall…"

"Hmm, I agree. This is the first time you ever acted rashly like that. Is there something you aren't telling me, Miyu?" Ayase replied seriously as she stood against the wall.

"No…" Miyu shook her head, sighing softly.

"The flow of the wind tells me you are hiding something, but I am not going to push you. You can tell me when you are ready." Ayase answered calmly.

"I'd figured you already knew… but I guess you don't." Miyu stopped messing with her hand and glanced over at Ayase.

"My guess is whatever you are hiding involves the girl that attacked you earlier." Ayase replied.

"Don't you know who she is..?" Miyu asked, turning towards her friend.

"I don't know her name but I tell you that I sense that mana from one of the students in our high school."

"I don't remember anyone white-haired at our school..." Miyu mumbled as she cast her gaze to the ground. "But she's the reason why my dad is here..."

"I see. So my mom was partially telling me the truth." Ayase commented calmly as she went to a drink machine and got two cans of hot chocolate, then she walked back over to Miyu. "Here." Ayase said calmly as she handed one to Miyu. Miyu accepted the hot chocolate with a nod and popped open the can, taking a sip of it.

"I guess I'll have to get you up to speed then…"

"I want you to explain everything from the beginning." Ayase requested. Nodding, Miyu took another sip of hot chocolate and let out a soft sigh.

"Alright… Basically, three days ago, I decided to head to the Ground Forces HQ after passing my ranking exam, and I ran into my dad there. He told me that he was working on a new case about mages being attacked and looted like the Book of Darkness incident, but this time mages were being left in life-threatening conditions. I returned home after spending a few hours there and waited for awhile. I found that it was strange that no one was home yet,so I waited for a little while longer and my mom eventually came home. I went to go welcome her home, but she looked very upset. After helping her over to the couch, she explained to me that my dad got attacked and was in the hospital in critical condition… I realized that he had become a victim of the incident he was trying to stop… I felt like I had to avenge my dad somehow… After that, I headed to the TSAB HQ in search for Fate, eventually running into her accidentally. I told her that I wished to take my dad's place in the case and she reluctantly let me… then she informed me that thank to his work, it was discovered that the case was linked to a Lost Logia called the Gear of Judgement." Miyu took a moment to take another gulp of hot chocolate before continuing on. "The Gear of Judgement was created to 'purge the world of the weak' or something like that… I found that out from research from the Infinity Library. Anyways, it has this system where it judges someone to test if they have what it considers to be real power, and if they pass, it boosts their power. If they fail… it impales them with a magical spear and drains their Linker Core, storing the stolen energy inside of itself until it boosts its next chosen one. The more people it denies… the more powerful the boosts become. It's a really dangerous thing…" she finished.

"I see. Trust me, Miyu. Revenge will get you nowhere." Ayase explained as she started sipping on her hot chocolate.

"It's already making me unintentionally hurt myself..." Miyu smiled weakly, holding up her injured hand.

"You really need to learn to control your anger." Ayase commented calmly as leaned against the wall.

"It is not good for your health." Panzerglaive suddenly stated.

"So even you're worried about me, Panzerglaive..." Miyu sighed softly.

"Yes sir." it replied.

"Panzerglaive, what is your opinion on the mysterious girl?" Ayase asked curiously as a beeping on her PDA caught her attention.

"She seems like a very dangerous and corrupt person." Panzerglaive replied.

"She sure is persistent..." Ayase commented as she put away her PDA.

"I wonder what her goal is..." Miyu mumbled, looking over to the left as one of the medical assistants approached them.

"Excuse me. Mr. Mayuzumi is available to be seen now." the assistant stated with a warm smiled.

"Okay. Let's go Miyu. I'll call your mother to tell her the good news." Ayase replied with a sly smile as Miyu she started following the assistant. Miyu replied with a nod and followed as well. The assistant led them to a room and let them inside. Miyu's father was lying in a bed with his gaze focused on the ceiling. When the door opened, he turned his gaze over to the direction of it. Once Miyu spotted him, she immediately ran over to the bed and fell next to it, her arms draped across her father.

"Dad..!"

Shiro smiled softly and wrapped his arms around his daughter. "Hello Miyu. It's nice of you to come and visit me."

"I'm glad you're okay..." Miyu whispered quietly, a large smile on her face. "Mom was really worried..."

"I'm glad I'm okay too. I'd hate to leave you two alone so suddenly." Shiro chuckled, rubbing Miyu's back. Miyu remembered the flowers and pulled away from him briefly to show them to him.

"These are from Enforcer Harlaown." she stated. The flowers were the same kind that she had given her, but they were different ones since the originals got destroyed. Miyu was unsure if she should tell her dad about what happened earlier.

"Hm? Which Enforcer Harlaown?" he asked with a smirk. Even while hospitalized, Miyu's father still could be playful.

"Ayase's mother. Alyssa." Miyu replied.

"Ah. Tell her thank you for me." Shiro nodded.

"She also said hi." Miyu added.

"And tell her I said hi back." Shiro grinned. Ayase smiled slightly as she used her phone to call Miyu's mother. Tsugumi picked up immediately after the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Excuse me, Mrs. Kirisaki. This Ayase T. Harlaown calling from the hospital." Ayase replied formally.

"Why are you at the hospital? Did something happen to Miyu?!" Tsugumi asked frantically.

"Miyu is fine. I came to the hospital to visit your husband and I have good news for you." Ayase answered calmly.

"That's a relief... what's the good news?" Tsugumi asked, letting out a happy sigh.

"Your husband has recovered fully from his injuries and is cleared to be discharged today. Would you like to talk to him, Mrs. Kirisaki?" Ayase explained.

"Y-Yes please…" Tsugumi replied while attempting to retain her composure.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mayuzumi. Your wife would like to talk to you." Ayase reported calmly as she walked up and handed Mr. Mayuzumi her phone.

"Hello? Oh, hello Tsugumi." Shiro spoke softly into the phone. "Yes, I'm fine..." the two talked for awhile while Miyu backed off and stood next to Ayase.

"We should get back to school soon." she suggested.

"Well, the final class of the day is Magical Combat and it won't start until 4 PM. Miyu, you should spend more time with your father." Ayase explained calmly as she checked her watch.

"True... but... I dunno..." Miyu sighed softly.

"Well, It is barely 2:30 PM so we have plenty of time." Ayase explained as Feuerdrache landed on her shoulder.

"We'll see how long my dad talks to my mom. You know how long adults like to talk…"

"You should let them talk. Your mom must have been worried sick about your father." Ayase replied in defense of Miyu's parents.

"That's what I plan to do." Miyu stated with a nod.

"By the way, Miyu. I got a little suprise for you and your family." Ayase said calmly as she took out a small white envelope from a pocket on her khakis and handed it to Miyu.

"Eh? What is it?" Miyu asked, gazing at the envelope.

"Well, these are VIP tickets to my friend, Angelica's concert. She is a very famous singer/idol on Mid-Childa. She gave me a total of 8 and I kept 4. I am giving the other four to you and your family." Ayase explained calmly as she handed Miyu the white envelope.

"Four tickets... But there are only three members of my family. Me, my mom, and my dad." Miyu stated, her voice trailing off as she thought to herself for a moment. _'Maybe I could invite Ethan...'_

"Luckily for us that we managed to get these tickets. The venue is almost sold out." Ayase commented with a slight smile

"Is it okay if I invite Ethan?" Miyu asked.

"I haven't met Ethan yet, but if you want, you could bring him." Ayase answered calmly.

"Of course. He's a year older than us."

"The concert will at 9 PM on Saturday." Ayase replied calmly as she went out to get a can of tea from the drink machine

"Alright." Miyu nodded, glancing over at her father. He was still on the phone with her mother.

"The funny thing about Angelica was that she was extremely hesitant about becoming a singer even though she has an excellent singing voice." Ayase added while sipping on her drink

"I see." Miyu nodded, beginning to mess with her hand again. The conversation continued on for awhile longer until they were interrupted by Shiro. He had finished talking to his wife and now he felt like resting for a little while.

"Hey, Miyu. Are you feeling hungry?" Ayase asked curiously.

"Now that I think about it... yeah, I am. It /is/ past lunchtime now..." she replied, rubbing her stomach.

"Mr. Mayuzumi. Do you want me to get anything for lunch for you?" Ayase asked respectfully as she looked towards Miyu's father and smiled

"No thank you. I want to lie down for awhile." Shiro stated, smiling softly "You two go and enjoy yourselves."

"We'll let you get your rest. Miyu, I know an excellent Japanese food place nearby here." Ayase replied cheerfully.

"Alright." Miyu nodded, smiling. "After we eat there it'll probably be close to the time of the last class for today."

"That's sounds like a good idea, Miyu. Goodbye, Mr. Mayuzumi," Ayase said respectfully while bowing. Miyu waved to her father before heading out the door.

"Here's your phone back." Mr. Mayuzumi outstretched his hand with Ayase's phone in it.

"Thank You." Ayase smiled, taking her phone back from Miyu's father before quietly walking out the door.

"Alright! Lead the way Ayase!" Miyu cheered happily.

**3:01**

**Cranagan**

**Sakuya Japanese Restaurant**

After the two girls left the hospital, they walked to the Japanese restaurant that Ayase mentioned. After they entered, one of the kimono-clad waitresses looked over.

"Hello, Ayase-chan!" she exclaimed happily before glomping Ayase.

"Hello Sakura." Ayase replied while chuckling slightly.

"So, Ayase. What are you in the mood for today?" Sakura asked happily as she led Ayase and Miyu to an empty table.

"I'll have Katsudon today. What do you want to eat, Miyu?" Ayase asked curiously as she looked at Miyu.

"I honestly have no idea… I haven't been to these types of places before." Miyu replied.

"This place is well known for its Okonomiyaki. Which is a japanese style pancake filled with various ingredients of your choice." Ayase explained.

"I'll try that then." Miyu said with a smile.

"Okay. Your orders will be out in a bit." Sakura said cheerfully before walking away from the table.

"I like this place's atmosphere." Miyu acknowledged.

"Its very traditional. Some of my mom's family live in Japan." Ayase explained calmly.

"Didn't you live on Earth before coming here to Mid-Childa?"

"Actually, I was an orphan on Earth 11 years ago. I bumped into my mother when she was a rookie Enforcer. She felt sorry for me so she visited me at the orphanage every chance she could get and eventually she formally adopted me." Ayase explained with a smile as she mentioned her mother. "She mother was 17-18 at the time."

"I see." Miyu nodded, looking down as her stomach growled. "Oh geez..."

"Here you go!" Sakura called out as she delivered their orders to the table.

"Enjoy your meals."

"Thank you!" Miyu called after her.

"Itadakimasu." Ayase said calmly before beginning to eat.

"What does that mean?" Miyu asked her.  
  
"In this situation, it means 'let's eat.'" Ayase replied.

"Oh! Okay." Miyu nodded, looking down at her food. "Itadakimasu." she stated before she started eating. After they finished eating, Ayase looked up at Miyu and smiled.

"How was the food, Miyu?" she asked.

"It was very good." Miyu replied.

"We should get going. Class will start soon."Ayase stated as she paid the bill.

"Right." Miyu nodded.

**3:54PM**

**Path to St. Hilde**

**Northern Mid-Childa**

Ayase and Miyu left the restaurant and caught the train to Northern Mid-Childa just before it left the station. After arriving, they hopped off and traveled to the school, both excited to take part in the Combat class.

"I can't wait to be in Magic Combat Class." Ayase commented as she and Miyu walked toward their high school.

"Me either. I wonder what's in store for us." Miyu replied, her hands folded behind her head.

"From what I heard from my Aunt, It teaches you the basics of magic combat." Ayase commented.

"Do you think I'll learn more about how to counter Aerial Mages?" Miyu questioned, glancing over at her friend.

"The first year of the class is dedicated to ground combat. But, that depends on the teacher." Ayase commented as she Miyu turned into the grounds of their high school.

"I wonder if anyone will be at my level then..." Miyu muttered to herself.

"We will never know til we get there. As for me, the amount of magic power I have rivals my mother.

"I've never seen your mother's magic capabilities before... but they must be pretty good considering her rank." Miyu stated as she dropped her arms to her sides.

" From what Feuerdrache says, my mom's magic can literally burn the whole world to ashes but I have yet to see my mom use her full power." Ayase commented with a chuckle.

"Geez..." Miyu mumbled quietly. After a few more seconds, they reached the front doors of the high school building.

"Looks like Magic Combat class will be held in the Magic Training Hall." Ayase said calmly, looking at a flyer posted on the door as she stretched out her muscles.

"Alright. Let's head there." Miyu nodded.

"Okay." Ayase replied as she and Miyu turned towards the Magic Training Hall. While on the way there, Ayase bumped into a girl who busy rushing to get to the same place as the two of them.

"Careful there." Miyu mumbled as she stopped Ayase from falling.

"Excuse me." Ayase replied to the girl that bumped into her before walking away with Miyu.

"That reminds me… Do you know the Protection spell?" Miyu asked.

"Well, I usually make barriers using the wind/wind energy in the area." Ayase explained cheerfully

"Is that set to default? Some people have their Protection spell set to automatically block attacks..." Miyu stated.

"It's not set to default. The wind instantly follows my commands as I soon as I give them." Ayase explained hesitantly as she wasn't sure how to word her explanation.

"I see..." Miyu nodded. A few seconds later, she entered the Magic Training Hall.

"Looks like the teacher is here." Ayase commented as a blonde haired woman who was wearing a combat uniform walked in front of where Miyu's and Ayase's classmates were gathered

Miyu looked over at the teacher and smiled. "Time to start then..."

"Hello, everyone. How are you doing today?" The teacher asked was a caring smile on her face.

Mumbled 'good's and 'doing well's were heard throughout the crowd of assembled students.

"Okay. Today I am supposed to teach you the basics of Magic Combat from a textbook but that is boring to us both." The teacher replied with a smile.

"Go on..." Miyu mumbled, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Well. As my sensei Alyssa T. Harlaown likes to say, "Let's start off with a demonstration." The teacher added which caused the other students to look at Ayase, which made her turn red in the face slightly.

"Go on..." Miyu repeated, her grin getting wider.

"I will choose two students from the class and they will spar against each other." The teacher added as she started looking around at the class.

'I wonder who she'll pick...' Miyu thought to herself.

"Okay. The first lucky person is Ayase T. Harlaown." The teacher replied as she pointed at Ayase.

Miyu gave Ayase a thumbs up.

And the second person I choose is Hailey..." The teacher replied as she pointed to another student who was sitting on the other side of the class. Ayase took one look at Hailey before a serious look appeared on her face. Miyu noticed the look and knew something was bothering her.

"Okay. Ayase and Hailey. Stand up and prepare to spar." The teacher ordered as Ayase and Hailey walked over to the other half of the Magic Training Area. Ayase took position near one wall and Hailey stood near another. She shifted into a fighting position and watched Ayase. "Okay. Activate your Devices." The teacher commanded as she watched from the sidelines. Hailey held up her right wrist and her bracelet materialized into a black staff with purple gems embedded throughout it head. Ayase turned her pendant into its bow form and stood ready. "All Set! Go!" the teacher exclaimed.

"I'll give you the liberty of making the first attack." Hailey said coldly.

"Nah. You go ahead and make the first move." Ayase answered sarcastically as she entered a combat stance. Hailey whispered something as seven orbs of purple mana appeared in the air around her and she fired them at Ayase. Ayase used some of the air in the building to create a barrier. As soon as she did that, she pulled her bowstring back and started charging a mana arrow. Hailey immediately held out her hand and whispered another spell name, a bubble of mana appearing behind Ayase which started sucking her into it. Ayase smiled slightly as a dark emerald green mana circle appeared under her feet. Ayase quickly backflipped into the air before firing a mana arrow right next to the bubble. The arrow quickly hit the ground before creating a wind vortex which started sucking in the wind energy in the building. Ayase's attack also released two spirit arrows that homed in on Hailey.

Hailey held out her hands and two blurry mana orbs appeared and started hovering next to her. Flying into the air, the orbs followed and began shooting streams of magic bullets at the arrows and Ayase. Ayase responded by summoning a wind wall and firing a mana arrow through it. As soon as the arrow went through the wind wall, it split into multiple smaller arrows. Hailey held out her hand and a magic circle appeared on a nearby wall, which fired out a beam that caught the arrows sideways and made them disappear. Continuing to fly through the air, the orbs that were hovering next to Hailey continued firing streams of bullets at Ayase.

Ayase smiled slightly, having a plan in mind. Ayase formed an invisible wind barrier all around her which had a special property. She then allowed Hailey's attack to hit her.

"A-Ayase!" Miyu called out.

"Hm?" Hailey stopped flying around for a moment to look at Ayase.

"This is the first time I generated this many Wind Orbs." Ayase commented as the smoke cleared revealing that Ayase was totally unharmed and she smiling. Immediately, Miyu noticed that Ayase had five radiant, emerald green balls of energy floating around her.

"Things are getting intense..!" Miyu stated excitedly. She was beginning to get an adrenaline rush just from watching the battle. Ayase quickly closed her left fist which cause two large Sylphian Mana Circles to appear above and below Hailey. A wind wall soon sounded Hailey which prevent her from moving temporary. Afterwards, many wind-lances sprouted from the mana circles and they all shot towards Hailey at high speeds. Hailey glanced over to her left at a purple magic circle that appeared on the wall. Before the lances could make contact, Hailey disappeared and reappeared on top of the circle. 

"...Impressive." Hailey said with a smile. "But as long as I have these set up... I can teleport to them at any given time... I've set up these invisible "transport circles" around as I was flying. So... nice try." she smirked.

"Smart..!" Miyu found that she could hardly contain her excitement.

"Not bad. But, you need more than trickery to beat me." Ayase commented calmly as she got ready for Hailey's next attack. Hailey fired off blasts at the ceiling, a wall, and the floor and they began ricocheting around. Ayase charged some mana into her legs and waited for the blast to get near her. So soon as they neared her, Ayase used her mana infused legs to kick the blast which deflected them into another direction. The blasts continued to ricochet until they connected with different surfaces five times, then they disappeared. Meanwhile, Hailey had charged up a giant orb of energy and she fired it at Ayase.

An Ancient Sylphian bow made of wind energy materialized using Windstrider as its center, and Ayase quickly pulled back the bowstring which caused a very large mana arrow to form, Ayase firing it as soon as it was fully charged. The mana arrow and Hailey's energy ball connected in midair. Hailey's energy ball tried to move forward but Ayase's mana arrow forced it back. Hailey smirked as she flew over the top of the orb and held out her hand. "Bind!" A purple ring appeared around Ayase and it suddenly shrunk, holding her in place. "Interstellar Stream!" A magic circle appeared to her left and sent a laser sweeping across the ground towards Ayase.

Ayase smiled in response as she detonated one whole Sylphian Wind Orb as the laser was about to hit her. The blast produced smoke, which covered the entire room.

"I-I can't see anything!" Miyu waved her arm in front of her to try to clear some smoke so she could see what was going on. "They haven't even put on their jackets yet but they still are going all out!"

Hailey was back on the ground again, leaning against her Device. "Hm..."

After a few moments, the smoke slowly dissipated, revealing Ayase standing behind Hailey with Windstrider aimed at her head. Ayase had a mana arrow ready to fire. Miyu quickly noticed that Hailey was bound by powerful wind shackles.

"W-Woah..." Miyu was wide-eyed.

"That is a good enough demonstration, you two. I want you two to cease combat." The teacher commanded calmly after walking in after the smoke has cleared.

"Yes... it was good enough..." Hailey said with a smile.

Ayase kept Windstrider pointed at Hailey's head for a few minutes more before finally lowering it.

"That was a nice battle. It really got my adrenaline racing." Ayase commented calmly before slinging Windstrider over her shoulder. Ayase then dematerialized the Wind Orbs.

"Yes, it was..." Hailey nodded. "Is class over now, teacher?"

"Class is excused. I want all of you to study this battle carefully tonight. We will have an in depth discussion on the battle tomorrow." The teacher replied calmly after checking her watch.

"It was so intense..." Miyu mumbled to herself.

"We should get going, Miyu." Ayase suggested calmly as she turned around and walked towards the door of the Magic Training Area.

"Y-Yeah..." Miyu nodded, following after her. The two made it off of campus a few minutes later. Miyu noticed that Ayase had a serious expression on her face, so she decided to lighten the mood a little.

"I honestly have no idea what I would've done if I was put in either  position..."

"Well. Once you been in combat enough times, you instinctively know what to do." Ayase explained calmly.

"I guess I haven't been in combat enough times then..." Miyu sighed softly.

"Hmm... Windstrider detected the signal from the tracking arrow I fired at the mysterious girl coming from Hailey. That doesn't make sense." Ayase mumbled quietly.

"That really doesn't. She didn't use any gears at all."

"Something about this bugs me." Ayase replied calmly as she rested her hand on Miyu's shoulder. "Hey Miyu. Are you in the mood for Green Tea Parfait?" Ayase asked curiously as she smiled at Miyu.

"S-" Miyu cut herself off, going wide eyed. "I forgot to take the groceries home..."

"Speaking off, I forgot to buy Panko Bread Crumbs. Would you like to join me, Miyu?" Ayase asked with a giggle.

"Might as well... I'm going to need new groceries anyways. I misplaced the last ones..." Miyu laughed half-heartedly.

"Well, lets go get some Green Tea Parfait." Ayase replied as she led Miyu down a street which led to a fancy japanese confectionary/desert place.

**4:45PM**

**Cranagan**

**Japanese Confectionary/Desert Place**

As the two made it to the eatery, Miyu bumped her hand against the door frame on her way inside. "Ow..."

"Are you alright, Miyu?" Ayase asked in a slightly worried tone.

"Yeah. I just bumped my hand."

"You should go get that checked out. You might have broken some bones in your hand." Ayase suggested as Ayase's mother waved from one of the table. She was currently talking to Miyu's mother.

Miyu quickly hid her hand behind her back. "I don't think I do..."

"Mom?! What are you going here?" Ayase asked in a surprised tone as she took a table that was behind her mother.

"Tsugumi and I have just gotten off work and we decided to take a little break here." Ayase's mother explained as she smiled at her daughter. Miyu sat next to Ayase, keeping her hand under the table. She didn't want to make her mother worried.

"I'll have two Green Tea Parfaits." Ayase told a waitress as she walked up to them. She gladly took the order and smiled before walking away to the kitchen.

"Hey..." Miyu whispered to Ayase. "Should we tell them... about earlier?"

"We should but not now. My mom has had a long day and I don't want her to get stressed out." Ayase replied telepathically. Miyu just nodded in reply and slumped back against the seat.

"Today was so tiring…"

"Well, lets just enjoy the Green Tea Parfait." Ayase suggested cheerfully as the waitress brought two green tea parfait out and placed them on the table along with two silver spoons.

"Enjoy yourselves, ladies." The waitress said cheerfully before walking away.

Miyu picked up one of the spoons and started eating. Ayase did the same as well. Meanwhile, Ayase's mother and Miyu's mother continued talking about the archer who attacked Ayase and Miyu at school. Miyu ate in complete silence until she finished, then Ayase's mother told Ayase that she had been assigned by central command to help Fate on a case off planet and that she would be gone for a few days starting tonight.

"I see, Mom. Take good care of yourself during the mission." Ayase answered with a calm smile.

"I want to go home now…" Miyu mumbled. Ayase paid for her and Miyu's dessert before standing and saying goodbye to her mother. Ayase and Miyu quickly walked out of the dessert shop and onto the sidewalk.

"Let's get the groceries quick..."

"Is something the matter, Miyu? You have been acting weird all day and I am worried sick!" Ayase replied in a very irritated voice.

"I'm just having one of those rare moments where I'm doubting myself..."

"It's not like you to doubt yourself like this. If you want to about what is making you doubtful about yourself, I am all ears." Ayase replied calmly yet with a caring edge to it.

"The thing I've been complaining about this entire time. My toughest weakness."

"Well, complaining about it won't help you deal with Aerial mages. How about this, Miyu. I'll ask some of the best Ground Force mages to teach you how to deal with Aerial mages." Ayase suggested calmly.

"I want to know... more things that I can do with wind."

"I see. Let me ask you something. Do you want me to teach you some things you could do with the wind? One thing though, I can't teach you most of my skills since only Sylphians could use them. " Ayase suggested calmly in an attempt to cheer Miyu up.

"Yes! Please." Miyu nodded multiple times.

"Okay. I'll teach you some of the basic things starting next week. I need you to be mentally focused or you could badly injure herself." Ayase replied calmly.

"Thank you..." Miyu nodded one more time. "Now... to the store!"

"Okay. Let's hurry up. Your dad might be home by now." Ayase replied as she and Miyu walked into the supermarket. Miyu quickly bought everything that she lost again and made sure to hold onto it all tightly. Ayase assisted Miyu in carrying the groceries to her home so Miyu didn't hurt her hand any more than it was. As soon as Ayase finished helping Miyu put away the groceries, she waved goodbye to Miyu before heading home. Miyu was grateful that Ayase helped her. Throwing away the empty bags, Miyu let out a soft sigh and headed up to her room. Flopping face-first onto her bed, she closed her eyes for a moment.

"From now on… no more doubts. It's about time I start living up to my title of The Iron Princess that I took so long to earn…"


End file.
